Rayman Gill

All hail the newest member of the Indian Literati, or rather, the newest member of the Indian Diaspora-literati. Yes, Mr. Aravind Adiga has joined the ranks of the select Indians who have managed to claim the highly coveted Booker prize Read the rest of this article »

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‘A great read, I can’t get away from it’ – Britney Spears

The given quote by Britney Spears which appears on the blurb of author Elizabeth Gilbert’s latest autobiographical offering Eat, Pray, Love might Read the rest of this article »

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For a long, long time the film industry attempted to keep us entertained by churning out film after film about victimized Muslims. Thus, It is easy to understand why I was pleasantly surprised when I heard of Ramchand Pakistani Read the rest of this article »

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A decade ago, there was Harry Potter. A decade later, there is Twilight. Many might argue that Stephenie Meyer’s vampire love saga still has a long way to go before it can even come close to holding a candle to JK Rowling’s masterpiece. However, it won’t take long for the Twilight series to become equally popular in their own right Read the rest of this article »

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The Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppein, Pink Floyd, Queen, The Sex-Pistols, The Spice Girls, James Blunt and the like are believed to be some of the most successful musical acts of all times. Three decades ago, record payers and gramophones belted out the dulcet tones of John Lennon and Freddie Mercury. Read the rest of this article »

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‘I’ - the most important letter of the alphabet that I learnt in an elite English medium school. Forgive me if I cannot recall my varnmala with as much ease as my alphabet. Read the rest of this article »

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It is the general assumption of most that the youth of today have little interest outside the walls of the nightclub, this generalization causes people to believe the ‘fact’ that their younglings have no religious leanings at all. However, the emerging popularity of Purity rings or “Chastity rings” in the US challenges he aforementioned assumption. Read the rest of this article »

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The ideology of ‘ethnic purification’ followed by the Nazi Party in the height of the Second World War caused what was without doubt, one of the most horrific, barbaric episodes in world history. Over six million innocent Jews lost their lives, after being subjected to cold-blooded, callous and brutal torture. The idea was based on notions of ethnic-nationalism, an idea in which the nation is defined in terms of ethnicity (or perhaps a shared language).

 
Between the years 1933 to 1945, the pure-blooded ‘Aryan’ race worked ruthlessly to eradicate the decidedly non-Aryan community of the Jews. Some of the Nazi followers were truly inspired by Hitler, while the others were merely envious of the large wealth collected by the industrious Jews. It was felt by many Nazi’s that the Jews were controlling all of the resources that could provide wealth, and thereby reducing the others to a state of poverty, due to the inaccessibility of resources. At the culmination of World War II, the entire ‘free’ world (including India) sat back and marveled at the complete lack of humanity demonstrated by the Nazi’s. The United Nations went on to proclaim that “never again” would such a tragedy occur and such a Holocaust would never happen again. The UN spoke on behalf of the thinking, feeling human within each of us.

 

More than half a century has passed. Similar movements that aimed at ‘ethnic-cleansing’ sprung out in various parts of the world, for example, the mass-genocide currently unfolding in Sudan is no less tragic than the Holocaust. And it is based on the very same division between different cultural and racial groups. Again, one wonders how the perpetrators of such violence can belong to the human race. We nod our heads disdainfully and lament at the loss of humanity. Daily newspaper headlines bombard the reader with stories of such atrocities. We spare a moment or two to contemplate the pain, the loss and the destruction. We sympathize with the victims and bemoan the futility of being ethno-centric. We are quick to categorize the perpetrators of such atrocities as the ‘other’ – the regressive, barbaric fundamentalists with wonky ideologies. We are confident in our own inherent compassion, and the strength of our intellect, are positive about the fact that had we been in the situation, we would have reacted very differently and the violence would not have occurred (or we wouldn’t have engaged in it). And then we move on, for it is so very far away from our day to day existence.

 

But is it really?

 

Everyone is familiar with the furor caused by Raj Thackeray in the early months of 2008, when he slandered large groups of North Indians that had apparently usurped the entire state of Maharashtra. The non-Maharashtran population rose up in arms against his seemingly fanatical brand of politics. It seemed only fair that as Indians, we should have the liberty to live and work in any part of the country; after all, it is our country. The Maharashtra issue is yet to conclude. It bears an eerie similarity to the conflict in the north-east. The ULFA doles out cruelty to all the non-Assamese that live and work in the state of Assam. ‘Assam for the Assamese’ has been their perpetual cry. Having spent my early childhood in Assam, I have personally witnessed the unmitigated violence that occurs in the remoter districts of the state. It becomes effortless to sympathize with the victims, the poor innocent plebeians who are tortured for no fault of their own.

 

Within India, a country that boasts of ‘unity in diversity’, it is startling to see the sheer lack of unity evident at every level, be it in the top priority offices in the parliament or even at the college campus. But for how long can we keep laying the blame solely on the shoulders of others? Are we not equally insular; are we not equally hostile towards those who hail from other states? In the recent years, there has been a sudden influx of low-income groups from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh migrating bag and baggage to Chandigarh, they work either as laborers or as low-end clerks at government offices, and there is a palpable growing resentment amongst the locals who are vying for the same jobs. They would feel that in their own state, they should be given preference. A similar issue plagues students at the time of university admissions. Which Delhi-ite has not wept bitter tears over the fact that Delhi, being the national capital is not allowed reserving seats for local students (unlike Tamil Nadu and Mumbai University which are exceedingly partial to local students). Students would obviously be delighted if the educational institutions of their own home-turf would provide them with certain perks. Does that not make us equally ethno-centric, does that not make us equally resentful to the ‘others’ who we have to compete with for even the most basic resources even in our home state? Wouldn’t we want the ‘others’ to go back to their own states and leave our jobs and our resources alone?
 
A discontentment is bound to grow.

 

I am in no way saying that these growing feelings of mal-contentment can in any way be compared to the horrors of the Holocaust. But if things continue to proceed in the manner in which they are, the dissatisfaction will only grow. The resentment felt towards the ‘outsider’, can escalate to instances of random violence, then planned violence, and then genocide, for isn’t that the natural progression? The seeds to disharmony are being sown, and the result will ostensibly be a horrific, epic scene of discord.

 

Is it possible to eradicate the growing frustration? Yes, but to achieve that, one has to erase the very cause of it. That would imply doing away with rigid imaginary lines that separate nations, states and people; getting rid of all such divides. But, is that in any way practical, because the lack of boundaries would inadvertently result in pandemonium, chaos and anarchy. As without any borders, it would be nearly impossible to maintain order. Is it even possible to erase such divides? Or, does the solution lie in the mindset of man, who is territorial and self-serving by nature?

 

In India, there are twenty-eight states and seven union territories. But, what must we do to make it a nation?

 

Rayman Gill

[Image Source: http://www.abouttheimage.com/images_MT/anarchy_images_fire.jpg

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“I hate my childhood and everything to do with it”

 

Here is a quote that most existentialist, absurdist and other seemingly complicated folks swear by. There isn’t much of a chance of me ever being able to connect to the aforementioned statement, and this is because of the fact that I had a truly wonderful childhood. Read the rest of this article »

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A very old adage says “Once bitten, twice shy”. Yet, we as global citizens and people of the 21st century fail to understand a simple fact; oil is going to be exhausted. It creates pollution and is no longer a viable source of fuel for humanity as a whole.

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A blockbuster movie that raked in billions, a book that has refused to budge from the international bestseller lists, a new way of living, a guaranteed path to success and the aftermath - a veritable global phenomenon. It is hard to summarize the full impact that The Secret has had on society.

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Mahendra Karma could have never imagined this coming. He was a man on a mission, a Gandhi in the making. On that fateful summer of 2005 when his brain child, the Salwa Judum came into existence, he must have been so proud! Just that one little detail must have slipped from his mind - if you play with the rule of law, the rule of law might just cease to exist. Let me begin from well, the beginning.

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According to Suresh Kalmadi, the chief of India’s Olympic Association - a medal at the Beijing Games for India would be a “miracle”. Well, most of us aren’t really expecting anything beyond our performances in the previous Olympic games. However, when the chief of the organization that represents the country at the Olympics makes such a statement a couple of weeks before the Games begin - it is shameful. Read the rest of this article »

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Nearly every thinking, literate person in the world has come across Dr. Brian Weiss’ bestseller Many Lives Many Masters – the gripping story of a young twenty something Catherine plagued by innumerable fears and a crippling depression. She comes across a gentle (skeptical) psychologist who attempts to lighten her load through the tried and tested technique of regression via hypnosis. However, the shock comes when Catherine is able to remember not only her troubled childhood and infancy, but also eighty-eight of her past lives. Read the rest of this article »

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Much like literature, art and music – films are also an important tool used by historians to study the evolution of contemporary society. A film is largely similar to a time capsule that can capture the essence and the mindset of the society at the time in which the film was made. Today, there are scholars who specialize in the study of contexts within films and there are even museums, libraries and entire universities that aim at understanding the pulse of a society through its Cinema. Read the rest of this article »

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Whenever I finished watching an episode of the ever popular series ‘Sex and the City’, I would end up feeling lonely, I would find my clothes hideously unattractive, and moreover - my own life would seem infinitely boring. The movie did the same - multiplied by hundred. Such is the power of the chick-flick, while it lasts; one is totally engrossed in the plot and is rooting for the heroine. However, upon exiting the theatre, one cannot escape the feeling of ‘blah’ that suddenly envelopes us from all sides. Read the rest of this article »

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Contrary to popular belief, the key to attracting the opposite sex does not lie in one’s face, hair, skin or physique. It doesn’t have much to do with how wealthy you are either. Personality does matter, but it isn’t the primary prerequisite. The chief ingredient of a healthy sexual magnetism lies in a discreet and mysterious hormone called the pheromone. Read the rest of this article »

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June 1, 2008 – Yves Henri Donat Mathieu Saint Laurent, a premier French fashion designer of our time succumbed to his longterm illness of brain cancer and passed away unnoticed in his Paris residence. Laurent began his fashion career at the age of 17 when he left home and began to work at the couture house of Christian Dior. Post Dior’s demise in 1957, Laurent single-handedly shouldered the responsibility of saving the Dior house from financial ruin. Read the rest of this article »

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“Ring around the Rosie,

Pockets full of Posies,

A-tish-oo! A-tish-oo!

And we all fall down” Read the rest of this article »

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It was on a flight from Bangkok to New Delhi that I saw something that was unlike anything that I had ever seen before. A tall, plump and balding man engrossed in a paperback novel titled Bedded or Wedded; the book cover bore a picture of a scantily clad woman on a beach being ravished by a suited-booted business tycoon. Read the rest of this article »

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Religion is believed by many to be a necessary evil; in the ancient times of barbarism, it provided a structure and framework to human existence. Nothing and no-one can exist outside the framework of religion. Even atheists define themselves in accordance to their lack of belief in God. Whether or not the Almighty actually exists, His framework is all encompassing and largely unavoidable. Fear of what lies in the afterlife often compels mankind to adhere to mystic rituals and engage in a somewhat fanatical behavior.

Religion is always shrouded in mystery. There is a certain group of individuals who hold their beloved savior, Jesus Christ, so close to their hearts that they develop sores and often bleed from certain locations in their body that correspond to the five Holy Wounds that Christ received during his crucifixion (wounds in the hands and feet, and in the side).

Some individuals bear no wounds but experience the pain, whilst others have wounds in which the blood does not clot. The wounds of some bleed perfumed blood, and then here are those who bleed only during certain times of the year. These individuals are known as stigmatics, and the phenomenon is referred to as ‘Stigmata’. Such occurrences are common amongst those belonging to the Roman Catholic Church. The subject of Stigmata is under constant scrutiny - some view it to be a miraculous proof of the existence of a supernatural power, whilst others believe it to be a hoax. However, there is almost always a scientific explanation behind the claims of most modern day stigmatics.

The first ever stigmatization was experienced by Saint Francis of Assisi in 1224, following which, over 300 cases have been reported till the end of the 19^th century. One of the most famous and well-documented cases of stigmata is that of Padre Pio of Pietrelcina. An Italian Roman Catholic Priest (born in 1887), and due to his stigmatization, he is now venerated by the Vatican as a saint. Padre Pio engaged in long periods of fasting and abstinence. In 1918, he underwent a period of religious ecstasy, and ‘received’ a vision of Christ and subsequently developed permanent, visible bleeding wounds that stayed intact throughout the remainder of his life. Those closest to him claimed that along with stigmata, he had received several other ‘gifts’ from God, such as the power of bilocation, healing, levitation, the ability to read hearts, the gift of tongues and fragrant blood in his wounds. It is known that he was examined by various physicians. Yet strangely, the results of these examinations were never shared with the larger public. This may be due to the fact that after the culmination of the First World War, Padre Pio was a symbol of hope to the defeated and disillusioned Italian public, and the church authorities probably understood the importance of hope during such times of despair.

In recent times, the numbers of cases have increased dramatically; over 500 cases have now been recorded. Today, growing numbers of ordinary people – rather than mystics or members of religious orders have begun to report stigmata. However, the Vatican now approaches stigmata with a great deal of skepticism. Many stigmatic wounds have been proven to be self-inflicted. Most stigmatics suffer from Munchausen’s syndrome which is characterized by an intense desire for attention. Other stigmatics inflict wounds in order to earn a living, duping innocent believers who travel far and wide and pay hefty sums just to visit the ‘blessed’ individuals and receive what they believe to be ‘the healing touch’. Scientists have proven the blood to be of chemical origin, and the wounds to be inflicted not by nails, but by knives and glass. Irrespective of the validity of these accounts of stigmata, the church aggrandizes them to serve as proof of the validity of the Christian doctrine. The Vatican chooses to remain tight-lipped with regard to stigmata. However, their hesitancy sensationalizes the tales of stigmatics and gives the issue sufficient publicity.

Not all cases of stigmata can be scientifically explained. There are genuine cases of mystical wounds appearing miraculously and bleeding without clotting. These cases arise not out of a union with Christ, but out of a deep love and reverence for Christ’s sacrifice. They symbolize a religious faith so strong and so profoundly incarnate that it causes the individual embodiment of the contemplated pain of the Messiah Christ. Theologians argue that stigmata is not the result of being ‘chosen’ by God. In fact, it is the outcome of ‘choosing’ to empathize with God to such a degree that one’s body begins to emulate the consequences of the torture that Christ underwent.

According to sociologists, accounts of stigmata (whether valid or not) are crucial for the survival of the religious framework. In current times of scientific progress, the public is able to rationally question the oddities in religion. Ostensibly, such a questioning spirit would lead to enlightenment, but anthropological studies show that the complete absence of religion would lead to a dark period in the history of man – a dystopia era that would be characterized by a complete lack of hope, and an absence of faith in any power outside mankind (and with the passage of time, all faith in mankind too would invariably be lost – for who would love a man without basic moral goodness – and what moral goodness would exist without the fear of a supernatural judge or of karmic retribution). Without any belief in a God, why would any fear of damnation exist? And without any fear of damnation, which man wouldn’t be unabashedly self-serving? Therefore, in a strange and oppressive way, belief in religion and fear of God does indeed keep society in check (even if to the slightest degree). It may be argued that religion is growing increasingly oppressive and that it is the cause of a large degree of the issues that plague modern society (and such arguments are perfectly justified). However, it cannot be denied that religion arose due to a need to civilize society. Today, a belief in the supernatural is required for the very reason. Stigmata serves a dual purpose, it invokes our imagination, and it attempts to reaffirm our belief in the mystical, non-scientific realm of the supernatural, so as to restore the faith of the public in a God who does indeed exist.

Rayman Gill

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